The Lightning Thief: Annabeth's POV
by Booklover4ev4
Summary: This is the Lightning Thief in Annabeth's POV. Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, has always dreamed of going on a quest. When Percy Jackson arrives at camp, she thinks that he will lead her to success. Will Annabeth get to follow her dream?
1. The Beginning

**Hey everyone! xD This is the first chapter of _The Lightning Thief_ that I've written in Annabeth's POV. I thought it would be really interesting to write about how she felt about things and what she thought about Percy. Anyways...this is my second fanfic ever so I hope you like it! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this book; Rick Riordan owns them and almost all of the dialogue of this story and blahblahblah....xD **

Chapter 1

Annabeth's POV

I gazed out of the window of my cabin, watching the churning water of the lake and the romantic, colorful sunset. The sky was painted orange, purple and pink. In the distance, I saw a dolphin shoot out of the water, do a perfect 360 midair and then gracefully dive back into the water. Its dive created tiny ripples which lapped against the shore. I sighed and touched my leather necklace, my fingers curling delicately around my father's college ring. I should rip it off and throw it into the lake, but a small part of my brain told me not to. I reluctantly dropped the chain, letting the ring thud against my chest. I kneeled down and opened my suitcase, digging underneath all my clothes. My hands found a piece of crumpled paper. I picked it up, opened it, and stared at it with my eyes stinging.

My father had sent this letter to me two summers ago. I opened it slowly and re-read the lying words:

_My dear Annabeth,_

_I am so sorry for being a jerk. I have been so paranoid about keeping my family safe that I broke your heart and made you feel unwanted. I apologize for all the bad things I've done to you. I love you very much, and I miss you. Please come back home and live with me. I'll make sure things go smoothly. Please, darling, I love you. Also, I've folded my college ring in this letter. I want you to have it. Please reply immediately if you agree to live with me. Annabeth, my life has been blank without you. I miss you terribly. Please, come back. Don't allow me to live with all this regret. _

_Love,_

_Your father_

I grit my teeth as I stared at it. My eyes were swimming with tears at this point. I crumpled my letter and threw it back in my suitcase and pulled out my teddy bear (yeah, I have a teddy bear. It's my comfort item, so don't tell anyone!) I snuggled it against my chest, ducking my face into its fur, wiping my tears on it. I closed my eyes as I remembered the disaster that happened when I left camp.

I went home the week after I received the letter, trying to stay there for the whole school year, but my stepmom didn't want me with her. She didn't want her kids to be in danger by me, a "freak" as she had called me. Monsters attacked me so frequently and we argued. It had been a regular routine. I didn't make it through the winter break, so I called Chiron and pleaded him to allow me to go back to Camp Half-Blood.

Truth was, that I wouldn't mind facing every monster in the world if it meant that I never had to go back home. I hate my father and my stepmom. I would never go back. Ever. My heart ached with pain, and I fought against my new tears, my eyes stinging much more. I was so preoccupied with my thoughts that I didn't notice one of my roommates (pretty much my brother) walk into the cabin.

"Annabeth, Sil-," he began, but I interrupted his words as I yelped and dived towards my suitcase, stuffing my teddy bear into it. I got up and spun around angrily, facing my brother. Dang it. So embarrassing! What if he saw the bear?

"Oh…sorry, Annabeth," he replied nervously, eyeing my bronze knife that was sheathed and tucked into my belt. A lot of people were afraid of me, because (not to sound braggy) but I was one of the best fighters, since I came here when I was seven. Of course, people were only afraid of me when I was angry, so don't get the impression that I'm evil or threatening or something like that.

"Yeah, whatever," I stammered, "What do you need, Pierre?"

"Yeah. Um, Silena Beauregard wanted me to call you over to the Aphrodite cabin," he replied.

I closed my eyes, gritting my teeth. Silena is a great friend, but she always tries to give me a makeover which gets really annoying. I'm more of a tomboyish girl. I opened my eyes and gave Pierre a false smile.

"Thanks," I replied with a tiny nod.

"Sure," he replied, dazed. He shook his head, nodded, and stalked out of the cabin. I giggled and then rolled my stormy gray eyes. Pierre had had a crush on me ever since he started camp, which was last year. Finally, he gave up trying to impress me because he always messed up and he knew I didn't want him and it was also forbidden for people in the same cabin to like each other. Oh and by the way, Pierre wasn't really my actual brother. He was the son of my mother and another mortal. So, he isn't quite my brother, but I still felt uncomfortable around him whenever he tried to "make a move."

Anyways, this may seem kind of crazy but this is the truth. I am a half-blood, or another term would be demigod. I am dyslexic and have ADHD which helps me in battles. Well, all demigods are like that. My mother is Athena, the Goddess of wisdom, war, and architecture. There are actually Greek Gods and Goddesses, and they are temporarily in America. They live on Olympus, which is on the 600th floor of the State Empire Building in New York. Gods and Goddesses in the past saw mortals they liked and, you know, had babies and stuff. That still happens to this day. Athena found my horrible dad attractive and got me. To my father, this was the biggest mistake of his life, I thought sourly.

I walked over to my bookcase, stuffed with thousands of books, grabbed one, and walked outside. I always read when I was sad; it always seemed to clear my mind. I settled myself on the grass, opened the book, and stared at the page without really reading. I closed my eyes and inhaled the scent of the grass. When I was calm and my mind was clear, I opened my eyes and stared around the camp. I did this every day, like as if I couldn't believe that such an amazing and powerful camp could be built. Camp Half-Blood was so beautiful. We have twelve cabins nestled in the woods by the lake. They are arranged in a U, with two at the base, and five in a row on either side. Except for the fact that each cabin has a huge brass number above the door (odds on the left side, and evens on the right), each cabin looked nothing alike.

Number four has tomato vines on the walls and a roof made out of _real_ grass. The walls are also made of grass. The cabin always has pretty birds fluttering around but a lot of insects as well. Flowers sprouted everywhere, giving this cabin a lovely scent. Demeter's kids live in this cabin. Number five was bright red – it had a really nasty paint job, as if the color had been splashed on with buckets and even fists; it actually was. The roof was lined with barbed wire. A stuffed wild boar's head hung over the doorway. The children of Ares live in this cabin. They are really rowdy. They all are mean-looking and always arm wrestle, argue, and have loud rock music on 24/7. It gets quite annoying at times. So all the cabins are decorated by what God or Goddess the cabin represents.

I am in cabin six. There are cabins for twelve Gods and Goddesses: Athena, Hephaestus, Dionysus, Aphrodite, Demeter, Apollo, Artemis (whose cabin is empty, because she made an oath that she would always be a maiden), Hera (whose cabin is empty, but wants to be honored so has a cabin), Zeus (empty) and Poseidon (empty). Hades doesn't have a throne on Olympus nor does he have a cabin in Camp Half-Blood. It's actually quite sad. Nobody understands him or acknowledges him. That would be enough to make one grow crazy.

Poseidon, Zeus, and Hades, are the Big Three Gods. They swore upon the River Styx that they would not have children because their kids usually were so powerful that they caused ultimate destruction. Even so, after many years, Zeus broke the promise. He had a daughter named Thalia. She was my best friend. Since Zeus was immortal and nothing really bad could happen to him, Thalia got punished for being alive. I mean, seriously, it wasn't her fault. Monsters always got to her. It was horrible.

Thalia and I had met a long time ago. She and this other boy named Luke (son of Hermes) found me hiding from monsters. I was only seven and I had run away from home. I didn't understand why monsters were chasing me, and I was terrified. When they found me, they told me all about the Olympians on the journey. We walked all over the place, looking for a nice place to stay. That was when we found a satyr, Grover. He is also my really good friend. He was ordered by Chiron (one of the camp directors) to bring Thalia safely to camp. He saw me and Luke and decided to save us as well. We escaped from so many dangers as Grover led us to camp. While we were running to borders of the camp, tons of monsters were following us, to stop us from going to safety. We knew we weren't going to make it. That was why Thalia told us to go ahead. She sacrificed herself to save us.

I was such a horrible friend. I don't know why I didn't stop her. Maybe it was because I was terrified. Maybe it was because I was a selfish person. I don't know. I just know that I will never be able to forgive myself for this. I closed my eyes as a tear slid down my cheek. As Thalia was dying, Zeus took pity on her and turned her into a _pine tree_. How horrible! What an amazing way to honor your daughter! I shook my head, wondering why I was even thinking of this stuff. I usually don't go back and remember the horrible times of my life. I just was because I had a feeling something bad was going to happen. I sighed and put my head in my hands. That was when I got an idea. I leaped up and walked towards the Aphrodite cabin, leaving my book behind. I needed a distraction, and this would be a perfect one. I immediately regretted this, but there was nothing else to do.

**Liked it? Hated it? Please tell me! Oh and feel free to throw in some ideas if you'd like. plz click the review button!!!! **


	2. The Horrors of Getting a Makeover

**Hey everyone! I'm kind of depressed that I didn't get many reviews =( but I was still thankful for the three people who did! So thanks fangirl12, dfsdfdf , and Zoe Nightshade! Oh and Zoe, thanks a lot for the advice! I'll keep that in mind. Okay so this is the second chapter of **_**The Lightning Thief **_**in Annabeth's POV…duh… so keep reading! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, blah blah blah **

Chapter 2

I didn't know what was happening until I was thrown into a plastic, bright pink, glossy chair. I looked around the room and immediately felt sick. There was pink, frilly, girly stuff _everywhere_! I felt like I just entered Barbie Land. Half of the room was cluttered with makeup, fluffy pink stuff, and clothes. The other half was practically empty; it was probably for the guys. I bet they only came in here to sleep. I mean…duh! I shook my head and my jaw snapped open when I stared in front of me. There was a huge, polished mirror extending from one end of the wall to the other. In front of the mirror was a long desk cluttered with makeup, straighteners, curlers, lotions, perfumes, and other…stuff. I pounced up and ran towards the door to be pulled back by Aphrodite's kids. All this stuff was giving me a migraine. I was thrust back onto the chair, and I didn't struggle anymore. Okay… I didn't know that they had like a beauty parlor in here! I turned pale.

"Okay, Annabeth. You came here in the first place, so don't go running off, okay? This isn't gonna hurt at all. You're going to love your new makeover," squealed Silena. I looked at her from the mirror.

She was a gorgeous girl (because she was Aphrodite's daughter of course). She had silky brown hair extending to her waist. Her eyes shone blue with excitement. Her cheeks were naturally flushed and rosy. She was wearing some kind of perfume that smelled like flowers. Her cheeks were splashed with glitter and her perfect teeth sparkled as the sun shone against them. It was hard trying to be angry at her, because she was so nice and innocent, but I really didn't want to do this.

"Okay, look, Silena? I didn't exactly know that you were going to…um…girl me up—"

"Oh, stuff it, Annabeth," Sarah told me bossily. I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Pierre told me you wanted to see me. I didn't know you were going to… you know! I thought you just wanted to talk about capture the flag and different strategies and…oh you know the other day? Yeah…I read this really good book about—"

"Annabeth, stop trying to change the subject. And, you should've known that I wanted you over for a makeover…after all, we are daughters of Aphrodite," Silena told me kindly. I growled. Curse Aphrodite for being the Goddess of love _and _beauty.

"Okay, Annabeth. Here's the deal. Look at the mirror. You are _gorgeous_. Just show me your inner… princess to us, okay?" Cassidy told me. I snorted. Princess? So not me!

"Look, we know you have like a super crazy crush on Luke. I mean, who doesn't, right? But if you want to win him, you need to be more attractive. And face it, girl, you acting all tough isn't helping the cause," Silena snapped at me. Ouch. She found her mark. I sighed. I _do_ really like him. I won't even ask how Silena and her sisters know…if someone has a crush on someone else, they always just seem to _know_ about it.

Okay…so I have a major crush on Luke. It's mainly because he saved me, he helped a lot and he is really cute. Maybe I like him because we've been through a lot together…I don't know! Every girl thinks he's good-looking. I even think that he likes me. Maybe if I had a little makeover…

"I… oh fine! But I'm only doing this because I need a distraction and I don't—" I exclaimed angrily, folding my arms against my chest and slumping against the chair.

"Oh! Thank you so much! You're the best!" she squealed, but then suddenly became all serious, "Annabeth, please sit up straight. Wow. I've always wanted to work with your hair. It's so pretty, but I bet I could make it better," she squealed. I groaned.

"So, what do you want? Do you want to look like a model? A superstar?" she asked.

"Just make it casual," I groaned, but I knew that she would ignore my request. Suddenly, facing a million monsters didn't seem so bad anymore.

"Okay, Annabeth. First look at yourself in the mirror. I want you to just stare at yourself. Try to look underneath the tough girl act. Believe me," she said briskly, fluffing my golden curls.

"Okay…I'll um…stare at myself," I replied. I felt really self-conscious as all the girls of the Aphrodite cabin stared at me with round eyes. I tried to ignore them as I stared at myself. I didn't see what was so special about me. I stared at my tanned skin and my golden hair which curled against my shoulders. My stormy gray eyes made me look wise and strong at the same time. My heart skipped a beat for a second as I realized that I _did_ look fierce and tough.

"Okay," Silena whispered, "Now, I'm going to first start with your eyes. Christy, please hand over that eyeliner. No not that one. The one next to it." I looked out of the window while I was waiting and saw a boy, carrying a limp and unconscious satyr. The boy, himself, looked dazed as he stumbled through the woods with him. He looked green and very weak, but he clutched tightly to the unconscious satyr. That was when I realized that it looked very much like Grover. I gasped. I had to help them. None of the campers noticed. I looked at the size of the window and that the fact that it was open. I could probably fit through.

"Silena…look at that really cute guy over there!" I exclaimed, pointing toward the entrance to the cabin. All the Aphrodite girls gasped, flung their hair back, and tried to look all flirty. I took that time to push away from the table and spring off the chair. Then I ran to the window, and dived out. I landed swiftly on the grass, and started running.

"Hey! Annabeth!" exclaimed Silena, sounding hurt.

"Sorry! I'll make it up to you! I have to run an errand!" I replied as I ran down the hill. I ran to the place where Chiron stayed. I banged on the door aggressively until he opened the door. I looked behind me and saw that the boy was pretty close. I thought about going to help him, but instead I decided to tell Chiron. I heard the shuffle of hooves and the creak and groan of someone settling into a chair. It was a while before Chiron opened the door. He was probably trying to stuff himself into his wheelchair (yeah…in case you haven't realized, he's a centaur).

"Annabeth! What's wrong?" he asked me.

"I saw some kid—," I stopped abruptly because Chiron stared wide-eyed at something behind me. I turned and saw that the boy was a few feet behind me. I stood beside Chiron as we watched him lugging Grover over to us.

"Percy?" Chiron whispered, too low for the boy to hear. Percy? That name was familiar. The boy was at the wooden porch when he collapsed. He looked up and gazed at Chiron with confusion. Then his eyes settled on me. His eyes looked distant and he breathed heavily. Suddenly, realization hit me.

I gasped, "He's the one! He must be." Thrill shot through my body like an electric shock. I resisted the urge to jump around and dance.

"Silence, Annabeth," Chiron replied. "He's still conscious. Bring him inside."

**Uhh... so I hope you liked it? if you did, plz review so i feel confident enough to update more...cuz i have the next chapter sort of ready. i just need to touch it up a bit. but i need your opinions so id appreciate encouraging remarks and i also accept advice on how to make this story better. So REVIEW!!!**


	3. Give me answers!

**Hey people. I didn't get anymore reviews, but no worries. I'll keep posting even though nobody reads it *sniffle* lol jk. Anyways, as usual, please R&R, okay? Thanks. **

**Disclaimer: Yeah…as usual, I don't own Percy Jackson and the other characters**

Chapter 3

I looked up nervously at the sky, chewing on my lower lip. The sky was dark and stormy tonight. Zeus and Poseidon were still fighting over something that was stolen. Many of us were told that something bad was going to happen at the summer solstice. Chiron told us that they were fighting because Zeus believed that Poseidon stole something really valuable from him, but what?

Suddenly, the boy stirred, mumbled something about barnyard animals wanting food, opened his eyes barely, and then passed out again. I frowned. He probably was having weird dreams. After an hour, he said something about killing his teacher, Mrs. Dodds. He did this a few more times. I rolled my eyes as I spoon-fed him ambrosia and nectar, God food, which would heal wounds for demigods only. I hovered over him, scraping drips of nectar off his chin with a spoon. I was only doing this so that if he woke up, I could ask him questions about the summer solstice. I'm pretty sure he would know.

Finally, his eyes suddenly opened, and I almost screamed with relief. I found my chance to ask him questions. Chiron wasn't here, so that was good.

"What will happen at the summer solstice?" I shot at him. His eyebrows pulled together in confusion.

"What?" he croaked with difficulty.

I frowned. I really wanted the quest to get out into the world and save something to be a well known hero, but I wasn't going to get anything out of this jerk if he didn't cooperate. I looked around, afraid if someone would overhear.

"What's going on? What was stolen? We only have a few weeks!" I exclaimed, lowering my voice.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, "I don't…"

Somebody knocked on the door. I gasped and quickly stuffed his mouth with ambrosia. I really wanted to beat up this clueless jerk. He didn't seem to know a thing. Maybe it was just because he was hurt. Maybe, when he's actually fully conscious, I could ask him. The boy passed out again.

"Come in," I said softly. The door opened slowly and Chiron walked in, in his centaur form.

"Annabeth, you didn't question or bother Percy, did you?" he asked suspiciously as he clopped across the room.

"What? No! Of course not," I replied.

Chiron looked at me with his twinkling eyes, gave me a soft smile, and said, "All right then. You may go to bed. Thank you for helping Percy. You have done a great job."

"Just so you know, Chiron, I didn't do it for him. He might be the one who can take me on the quest. I need him alive. And if he isn't the one, then you owe me," I replied, setting down the bowl of ambrosia on the side table.

Chiron sighed and told me to go to bed. I went reluctantly, eyeing the unconscious boy, and ran through the grass toward my cabin. I opened it slowly, trying not to wake my siblings up. I read the time on the clock: 1:54am. I changed into my silky owl pajamas and curled up in my bunk. I closed my eyes.

**Okay…hope you liked it so far. Click the green button…u know u want to! Sorry if this chapter was too short. The next one is almost done. R&R!! Luv y'all**


	4. The Drooling Hero

**Hey people. I'm happy to say that I got more reviews! See? Reviews make me happy so…review! Anyways…this is chapter 4 of **_**The Lightning Thief**_** in Annabeth's POV. I hope you like it! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. Rick Riordan does. **

I woke up, stretching and yawning widely. Sunlight poured through the window, blinding me momentarily. I glanced at the clock and almost jumped out of my skin. It was already 10:45 a.m.! I leaped up. I was already behind schedule.

"Oh, hey, Annabeth. I was going to wake you up, but you were sleeping like a log. I'm sorry. I brought you some food though," Cassidy said with a regretful smile.

"Oh, that's okay. It's just that I need to go train," I replied with a return smile. I got up and walked towards the bathroom. First I stared at the mirror. My hair was a total mess. Ugh. I grabbed my toothbrush and started brushing hard. After I was done, I took a shower and changed into my dull, orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and jeans. I brushed through my hair slowly, pulling it into a ponytail. Then I zoomed out of the bathroom, gulped down my food and shoved a pair of tennis shoes on. I waved at Cassidy, zoomed out of the room, past the cabins, and toward the arena. I seriously needed to get in some practice.

"Hey, Annabeth," some people called towards me. I just nodded at them as I stormed through the tall grass. Finally, I reached the arena. There were twelve people in there. Some were sword fighting and others were practicing archery. I saw Luke Castellan (my _friend_) fighting against David (son of Apollo). Luke slashed at him, but David ducked. As he brought his head up, Luke kicked him against his armor, sending him ten feet back. David got up with difficulty, so Luke took the time to rush over, and slammed his sword out of his hand. Then he put the tip of his sword against David's neck.

"Okay, man, you win again. You know that's because I'm better with bow and arrows!" protested David, as he stared up at Luke. I don't know why, but I felt a surge of pride wash over me as I saw Luke fight. I shook my head. No. I'm too young for him. I took a deep breath.

"Hey, Luke," I exclaimed shyly. He turned and smiled widely.

"Hey, Annabeth. How's it going? You missed breakfast," he replied, turning around and helping David to his feet.

"Yeah, well," I shrugged.

"So, do you want to practice?" he asked me with his dazzling smile.

"Yep," I replied, trying not to hyperventilate. I usually wasn't like this. Suddenly, I just started liking him a lot because well…I don't know. He's really nice, caring, and strong. Maybe I should give up the hope that one day… no. Never mind. Luke nodded (after eyeing me warily), grabbed a suit of armor, and tossed it to me. I put it on, and pulled out a bronze sword.

"You aren't using your knife?" Luke asked, wiping sweat off his brow.

"Nah. It's too short. You beat me a lot when I use that," I replied with a shrug. Luke grinned. I almost fainted.

"I always beat you."

"Oh ya? Not this time," I replied with a smirk.

He walked forward, bowed, and then took a step back. I held my sword in my right hand, eyes closed. Since I have ADHD, I could feel every movement that Luke was making. I could hear every shift and breath that he made. Luke lunged at me. I dived to the right, did a somersault, and spun around. Luke got off the ground and said, "Not bad." I raised my eyebrows. He came to me again, and brought his sword down. I pushed my sword against his, and it made a _clang_ noise. People stopped doing whatever they were doing and turned to watch Luke and me.

This time, I charged. I knew that he was going to leap to his right, so as he leaped there, I crouched down and swung my foot around, kicking him right above his heel. He crippled to the ground. He tried to push upward with his sword, but I kicked it out of his hand. I put the tip of the sword against Luke's throat. He gulped and then looked at me with wonder on his face.

"Wow! That was amazing, Annabeth!" he exclaimed. I beamed.

"Really?" I asked.

"Really," he replied softly. I gazed into his eyes. People behind me coughed. I reluctantly tore my gaze away from Luke's and dropped the sword beside his feet. Everyone was silent. Nobody could ever beat Luke. He was like the best swordsman in camp. I looked back at his eyes, taking in the warmth of them. I could feel myself slipping into a dreamy state. That was when I snapped back into reality. I shook my head and took off my armor.

"Bye, Luke," I said to him before running out of the arena. My cheeks were bright red. I shouldn't have let myself get too…occupied. Now, back to reality. I had to check and see if Percy woke up. I hope he did. I needed answers. I ran to where Mr. D (Dionysus) and Chiron were. I know; the Wine God was actually the director of the camp. Isn't that really cool? Well, it would be if he was pleasant to be around. Anyways, I joined them at the table, leaning against the porch rail. Dionysus doesn't really seem like a God. He isn't mighty or strong-looking. He had a red nose, big watery eyes, and curly hair so black it was almost purple. He looked like a cherub who'd turned middle-aged in a trailer park. He wore a tiger-pattern Hawaiian shirt.

"Hey, Chiron," I said with a smile.

"Hey, kid. Do you want to play pinochle?" he asked me. I shook my head.

"Where's Percy?" I asked.

"Annabeth, please do not question him. Just help him, okay? Tell him who he really is," Chiron whispered.

"Oh alright," I scowled. I folded my arms against my chest and sighed. That was when Grover and Percy trudged into sight. I took a really good look at the boy. He had messy black hair, and troubled green eyes. He looked really tired and worn out from everything that happened. His green eyes shifted to stare into my grey eyes. I looked down abruptly, staring at the game. Grover came close enough for me to hear him.

"That's Mr. D. He's the camp director. Be polite. The girl, that's Annabeth Chase. She's just a camper, but she's been here longer than just about anybody – I beamed when he said that – And you already know Chiron…" Grover said as he pointed to Chiron, who was in his wheelchair. Percy was quite for a moment, staring at Chiron in confusion.

"Mr. Brunner!" he cried. I frowned. What a weird pseudonym.

Chiron turned his wheelchair around and said, "Ah. Good, Percy. Now we have four for pinochle."

Chiron offered him a chair to the right of Mr. D, who looked at Percy with bloodshot eyes. He heaved a sigh and said angrily, "Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There now, don't expect me to be glad to see you."

"Uh, thanks," Percy said, scooting a little farther away from Dionysus. I guess I couldn't blame him.

"Annabeth?" Chiron called.

I came forward and Chiron introduced me to him. "This young lady nursed you back to health, Percy. Annabeth, my dear, why don't you check on Percy's bunk? We'll be putting him in cabin eleven for now."

I wanted to say no, but I guess if I wanted a quest, I should first take care of the key to my quest so I said, "Sure, Chiron."

I glanced at the Minotaur horn that was clutched in Percy's hands, and then looked back at him. He looked expectant, like he was expecting me to praise him. That just made me angrier. First, he defeats the Minotaur, which everyone who has been training in camp had always wanted to do. Then he wants me to praise him like he's some kind of celebrity. Well, I wasn't going to do it. I decided to embarrass him.

"You drool when you sleep," I spat at him. Then I swung around and sprinted off down the lawn, my blond hair flying behind me. Take that, loser.

**Hope you liked it! Review? **


	5. I Drown in Toilet Water

**Hey! This is the second chapter that I posted today, so I hope you guys are happy! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters and most of the dialogue in this chapter; R.R. does. **

Chapter 5

I ran to my cabin, grabbed my favorite book, and zoomed to cabin eleven. Chiron would expect me to be there and he would probably come soon. So, I sat down and started reading my book. After twenty minutes, I heard Chiron say, "Oh look. Annabeth is waiting for us."

When Percy and Chiron reached me, I looked up at Percy, glaring at him. He looked over to see what I was reading, but frowned because it was in Greek. Ha. What a loser.

"Annabeth," Chiron said, "I have a masters' archery class at noon. Would you take Percy from here?"

"Yes, sir," I muttered reluctantly.

"Cabin eleven," Chiron told me, gesturing toward the open doorway. "Make yourself at home."

I watched as all the girls and boys in the cabin stood and bowed respectfully to Chiron.

"Well then, good luck Percy. I'll see you at dinner," Chiron exclaimed. He galloped away toward the archery range.

Percy stared at the cabin, just standing in front of the door, watching the kids in the room. I tapped my foot impatiently against the floor. "Well?" I prompted, "Go on!"

He walked into the door, and tripped. I snickered along with some others, but none of them said anything. "Percy Jackson, meet cabin eleven," I announced in a bored voice, looking down at the floor.

"Regular or undetermined?" someone asked. I think it was James.

"Undetermined," I replied quickly. Everybody groaned. I looked at Percy's confused face and actually felt a pang of pity for him. Luke made his way through the crowd and walked toward Percy. "Now, now, campers. That's what we're here for. Welcome, Percy. You can have that spot on the floor, right over there." I looked at Luke, his eyes hypnotizing me.

"This is Luke," I said, blushing with a dreamy voice. Percy looked up at me, and I quickly rearranged my expression and cleared my throat, "He's your counselor for now."

"For now?" asked Percy. I rolled my eyes. Oh boy.

"You're undetermined," Luke explained patiently. "They don't know what cabin to put you in, so you're here. Cabin eleven takes all newcomers, all visitors. Naturally, we would. Hermes, our patron, is the god of travelers." He said his father's name like it was a cuss word.

Percy looked at the tiny spot that they gave him. He looked back at the kids, and eyed the kids as if they were going to pick-pocket him. I almost laughed; he should be careful.

"How long will I be here?" he asked. Oh my gosh! This boy is really stupid. It was already explained to him. Gee…

"Good question," Luke said, "Until you are determined."

"How long will that take?" he asked. Stupid, stupid, stupid! All of the campers started laughing and hooting.

I rolled my eyes and said, "Come on. I'll show you the volleyball court."

"I've already seen it," he protested. I wanted to punch his stupid face, but instead I grabbed his wrist and dragged him outside. The kids in the cabin were still laughing. Wow. This boy only knew how to embarrass himself. I actually thought that _he _was the one. How stupid of me.

"Jackson, you have to do better than that," I growled at him.

"What?" he asked in disbelief.

I rolled my eyes and mumbled, "I can't believe I thought _you_ were the one."

"What's your problem? All I know is that I kill some bull guy—," he said angrily but I interrupted.

"Don't talk like that! You know how many kids at this camp wish they'd had your chance?" I exclaimed. I was getting really frustrated.

"To get killed?"

"To fight the Minotaur! What do you think we train for?" I cried.

Percy shook his big fat head. "Look, if the thing I fought really was _the _Minotaur, the same one in the stories…"

"Yes."

"Then there's only one," he replied.

"Yes." Duh.

"And he died, like, a gajillion years ago, right? Theseus killed him in the labyrinth. So…"

"Monsters don't die, Percy. They can be killed. But they don't die," I replied. Then I frowned because of my weird word choice.

"Oh thanks. That clears it up," he muttered sarcastically.

"They don't have souls, like you and me. You can dispel them for a while, maybe even for a whole lifetime if you're lucky. But they are primal forces. Chiron calls them archetypes. Eventually they re-form," I recited.

Percy thought for a moment and said, "You mean if I killed one, accidently with a sword…"

"The Fur…" I said, but then stopped abruptly, "I mean, your math teacher. That's right. She's still out there. You just made her very, very mad."

"How did you know about Mrs. Dodds?" he asked incredulously.

"You talk in your sleep," I replied, my thoughts elsewhere.

"You almost called her something. A Fury? They're Hade's torturers, right?" he asked. I glanced nervously at the ground.

"You shouldn't call them by name, even here. We call them the Kindly Ones, if we have to speak of them at all."

"Look, is there anything we _can _say without it thundering?" he whined. Wow. What a baby. "Why do I have to stay in cabin eleven, anyway? Why is everybody so crowded together? There are plenty of empty bunks right over there." I rolled my eyes.

"You don't just choose a cabin, Percy. It depends on who your parents are. Or…your parent," I replied softly. I stared at him, hoping that he would get it.

"My mom is Sally Jackson," he replied. "She works at the candy store in Grand Central Station. At least, she used to."

"I'm sorry about your mom, Percy. But that's not what I mean. I'm talking about your other parent. Your dad," I told him sincerely.

"He's dead. I never knew him."

I sighed. How many times have I said this to other campers who arrived here? This was seriously getting lame.

"Your father's not dead, Percy."

"How can you say that? You know him?"

"No, of course not," I replied.

"Then how can you say…"

"Because I know _you_. You wouldn't be here if you weren't one of us."

"You don't know anything about me."

"No?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "I bet you moved around from school to school. I bet you were kicked out of a lot of them."

"How—,"

"Diagnosed with dyslexia. Probably ADHD too."

"What does that have to do with anything?" he asked, his cheeks burning.

"Taken together, it's almost a sure sign. The letters float off the page when you read, right? That's because your mind is hardwired for ancient Greek. And the ADHD… you're impulsive, can't sit still in the classroom. That's your battlefield reflexes. In a real fight, they'd keep you alive. As for the attention problems, that's because you see too much, Percy. Not too little! Your senses are better than a regular mortal's. Of course, the teachers want you medicated. Most of them are monsters. They don't want you seeing them for what they are," I recited. I had memorized this after explaining it to like a thousand different campers.

"You sound like you went through the same thing?"

"Most of the kids here did. If you weren't like us, you couldn't have survived the Minotaur, much less the ambrosia and nectar."

"Ambrosia and nectar," he said slowly.

"The food and drink we were giving you to make you better. That stuff would've killed a normal kid. It would've turned your blood to fire and your bones to sand and you'd be dead. Face it. You're a half-blood."

That was when a husky voice yelled, "Well! A newbie!"

Aw man. Here came Clarisse. I rolled my eyes. Here comes trouble. "Clarisse, why don't you go polish your spear or something?" I sighed.

"Sure, Miss _Princess_," she spat. "So I can run you through with it Friday night."

"_Erre es korakas_!" I hissed angrily. Nobody would beat me. "You don't stand a chance."

"We'll pulverize you," Clarisse replied back, but her eye twitched. Haha. Scaredy cat. "Who's this little runt?"

"Percy Jackson," I sighed, "meet Clarisse, Daughter of Ares."

"Like…the war god?"

Clarisse sneered. "You got a problem with that?"

"No. It explains the bad smell." I groaned. Why did he have to act all heroic?

"We got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy," she growled.

"Percy."

"Whatever. Come on, I'll show you."

"Clarisse," I protested.

"Stay out of it, wise girl." Okay. Jeez. I sighed as Percy handed me his horn and got ready to fight. But, Clarisse grabbed him by the neck and dragged him to the girls' bathroom. I sighed again. Percy was struggling, but he couldn't escape. I followed them into the girls' bathroom.

"Like he's 'Big Three' material," Clarisse said as she pushed Percy toward one of the toilets. "Yeah, right. Minotaur probably fell over laughing, he was so stupid looking!" Okay, that was probably true…

Percy was still struggling as they pushed his head harder toward the toilets. I peeked through my hands and the sight. Suddenly, there was a rumbling sound and the pipes shuddered and burst. Water shot out of the toilet and the pipes. It made an arc over his head and slapped Clarisse in the face. They all screamed. Clarisse and her friends were stumbling and drowning in the toilet water. The other toilets burst as well. This time, they sprayed me, and I groaned. I wanted to screech. I was going to smell like…ugh. I covered my face to avoid the water from getting in my mouth.

Clarisse and her friends got pushed out of the restroom as water slammed into them again and again. They were spinning around like pieces of garbage being washed away. They got pushed out of the bathroom, screeching like there was no tomorrow. Finally, the toilets stopped exploding. The whole bathroom was flooded. Percy was the only one who was dry. I stared at him in shock. Wow. There was a small circle around him that was completely dry.

"How did you…" I asked him with a shaky voice.

"I don't know," he replied softly. He walked out of the door, and I followed as if I were in a trance. The gears in my brain were turning as I thought about a logical explanation for this. Outside, Clarisse and her friends were sprawled in the mud. A bunch of other campers had gathered around to gawk at them. Clarisse's ugly hair was flattened across her face, her eyes were crazed with anger, and she was drenched and stunk like a skunk.

"You are dead, new boy. You are totally dead," she growled.

"You want to gargle with toilet water again, Clarisse? Close your mouth," he hissed at her. Clarisse got up and tried to strangle him, but her friends pulled her away. I stared at Percy. I was grossed out and angry that he had doused me, but I had a feeling he could really help…

"What?" he demanded, "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that I want you on my team for capture the flag.

**Okay… if you liked it please review! It'll make me really happy. And I hoped you liked this chapter. I will try to post at least one a day. **


	6. Why he will soon be called Seaweed Brain

**Hey everyone. Thanks for the reviews. As promised, I finished this chapter and will have it up really soon! Keep reading! Oh and thanks for the reviews! You really made my day. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson…and the Olympians…and most of the dialogue in the rest of the story. **

Chapter 6

Word of the bathroom incident spread immediately. I was still dripping wet as I showed Percy around. I showed him the metal shop (where kids were forging their own swords), the arts-and-crafts room (where satyrs were sandblastings a giant marble statue of a goat-man), and the climbing wall, which actually consisted of two facing walls that shook violently, dropped boulders, sprayed lava, and clashed together if you didn't get to the top fast enough. Finally we returned to the canoeing lake, where the trail led back to the cabins.

"I've got training to do," I told Percy. "Dinner's at seven-thirty. Just follow your cabin to the mess hall."

"Annabeth, I'm sorry about the toilets."

"Whatever," I sighed, looking away.

"It wasn't my fault," he said.

I looked at him skeptically with my eyebrows raised. Of course it was his fault. It was entirely his fault. Maybe…no, I don't think he could be the son of Poseidon. No. Not possible!

"You need to talk to the Oracle," I finally decided, my voice sounding dull.

"Who?"

"Not who. What. The Oracle. I'll ask Chiron," I sighed.

Percy and I stared out into the lake. Naiads were in the lake, talking and giggling to each other. Then, they raised their heads, winked, and waved at Percy. He waved back, looking bewildered.

"Don't encourage them. Naiads are terrible flirts," I warned him, rolling my eyes.

"Naiads," he repeated. "That's it. I want to go home now."

"Don't you get it, Percy? You _are _home. This is the only safe place on earth for kids like us," I said with a frown.

"You mean, mentally disturbed kids?" he asked.

"I mean _not human_. Not totally human, anyway. Half-human."

"Half-human and half-what?" I rolled my eyes at this question.

"I think you know."

"God," he replied after a while, "Half-God."

I nodded. "Your father isn't dead, Percy. He's one of the Olympians."

"That's…crazy!"

"Is it? What is the most common thing gods did in the old stories? They ran around falling in love with humans and having kids with them. Do you think they've changed their habits in the last few millennia?" I asked.

"But those are just…But if all the kids here are half-gods…"

"Demigods," I corrected. "That's the official term. Or half-bloods."

"Then who's your dad?" he asked me. My hands tightened around the pier railing. I grit my teeth and closed my eyes. I hated talking about my dad; I just hated him so much. But I still responded to him.

"My dad is a professor at West Point," I replied. "I haven't seen him since I was small. He teaches American history."

"He's human," Percy stated simply.

"What? You assume it has to be a male god who finds a human female attractive? How sexist is that?" I exclaimed, staring at him. What a jerk!

"Who's your mom, then?" he asked me.

"Cabin six," I replied slowly.

"Meaning?"

I straightened up. "Athena. Goddess of wisdom and battle."

Percy paused for a second, appraising me. I felt a little self-conscious, but otherwise said nothing.

"And my dad?" he asked. He was really getting on my nerves. Hadn't so many people already tell him that his dad was unknown? Okay, out of all the Olympians, he was definitely not the son of Athena. His head was full of kelp.

"Undetermined," I finally replied, "Like I told you before. Nobody knows."

"Except my mother. She knew."

"Maybe not, Percy. Gods don't always reveal their identities."

"My dad would have. He loved her."

I sighed. "Maybe you're right. Maybe he'll send a sign. That's the only way to know for sure: your father has to send you a sign claiming you as his son. Sometimes it happens.

"You mean sometimes it doesn't?" he asked.

"The gods are busy. They have a lot of kids and they don't always…Well, sometimes they don't care about us, Percy. They ignore us," I replied softly, running my palm along the rail. I simply ignored the sharp pain of the splintered wood plunging into my soft palm and continued thinking.

"So I'm stuck here. That's it? For the rest of my life?" he asked incredulously.

I looked up and gave him a sad smile. "It depends. Some campers only stay the summer. If you're a child of Aphrodite or Demeter, you're probably not a real powerful force. The monsters might ignore you, so you can get by with a few months of summer training and live in the mortal world for the rest of the year. But for some of us, it's too dangerous to leave. We're year-rounders. In the mortal world, we attract monsters. They sense us. They come to challenge us. Most of the time, they'll ignore us until we're old enough to cause trouble; about ten or eleven years old, but after that, most demigods either make their way here, or they get killed off. A few manage to survive in the outside world and become famous. Believe me, if I told you the names, you'd know them. Some don't even realize they're demigods. But very, very few are like that."

"So monsters can't get in here?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Not unless they're intentionally stocked in the woods or specially summoned by somebody on the inside," I replied.

"Why would anybody want to summon a monster?" Percy asked with a frown.

"Practical fights. Practical jokes," I said with a shrug.

"Practical jokes?"

"The point is that the borders are sealed to keep mortals and monsters out. From the outside, mortals look into the valley and see nothing unusual, just a strawberry farm."

"So…you're a year-rounder?" he asked me cautiously.

I nodded. From under the collar of my shirt, I pulled out my leather necklace, playing with five of my clay beads. They were all different colors and had different things on them. I then laced my fingers around my father's college ring.

"I've been here since I was seven," I replied slowly, "Every August, on the last day of summer session, you get a bead for surviving another year. I've been here longer than most of the counselors, and they're all in college."

"Why did you come so young?" he asked me.

"None of your business," I snapped, twisting the ring around. Gosh he was really nosy.

"Oh," he replied. There was an awkward silence until he said, "So…I could just walk out of here right now if I wanted to?"

"It would be suicide, but you could, with Mr. D's or Chiron's permission. But they wouldn't give permission until the end of the summer session unless…" I trailed off.

"Unless?" he prompted.

"You were granted a quest. But that hardly ever happens. The last time…" I trailed off silently.

"Back in the sick room. When you were feeding me that stuff…"

"Ambrosia."

"Yeah. You asked me something about the summer solstice."

I tensed. "So you _do_ know something?"

"Well…no. Back at my old school, I overheard Grover and Chiron talking about it. Grover mentioned the summer solstice. He said something like we didn't have much time, because of the deadline. What did that mean?"

I clenched my fists. "I wish I knew. Chiron and the satyrs, they know, but they won't tell me. Something is wrong in Olympus, something pretty major. Last time I was there, everything seemed so _normal_," I sighed.

"You've been to Olympus?" he asked, impressed.

"Some of us year-rounders like Luke and Clarisse and I and a few others... we took a field trip during winter solstice. That's when the gods have their big annual council."

"But…how did you get there?" he asked with awe.

"The Long Island Railroad, of course. You get off at Penn Station. Empire State Building, special elevator to the six hundredth floor," I replied. I looked at him and frowned. Shouldn't he know this all ready? "You _are _a New Yorker, right?"

"Oh, sure."

"Right after we visited," I continued, "the weather got weird, as if the gods had started fighting. A couple of times since, I've overheard satyrs talking. The best I can figure out is that something important was stolen. And if it isn't returned by summer solstice, there is going to be trouble. When you came, I was hoping… I mean—Athena can get along with just about anybody, except for Ares. And of course she's got the rivalry with Poseidon. But, I mean, aside from that, I thought we could work together. I thought you might know something." I was very hopeful, but it seemed that he was not my ticket out of here. I looked down at my feet, thinking about what Chiron told me.

"I've got to get a quest. I'm not too young. If they would just tell me the problem…" I muttered angrily underneath my breath. Suddenly, Percy's stomach growled. I looked up at him and told him to go on to the mess hall. I continued tracing my finger across the rail, thinking about how to get a quest.

**Okay guys. I hope you liked it. I know I'm not really good at endings for chapters. I mean, I just think that this ending is lame, but your thoughts are the most important. So…review! **


	7. I Pray for a Quest

**Hey. This is chapter 7. I hope you enjoy it. Please review if you did. Thanks guys. Luv y'all. Is this too short? If it is feel free to tell me. =)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson…or the Olympians… or anything else in R.R.'s book. **

Chapter 7

"Annabeth, we have to go eat at the mess hall," Lola told me. I was reading an architecture book and was irritated when she interrupted me. I looked up at her and sighed.

"Oh. Thanks for telling me, Lola. I was just really engrossed in this book."

"Yeah. I know. I didn't eat for two whole days because I just couldn't put down that book," she laughed. I knew we sounded geeky, but we just couldn't help it. I mean, we're daughters of Athena. What do you expect?

"I know. Well, let's go," I replied. I reluctantly set my book down, longing to grab it and taking off with it, as Lola grabbed my wrist and pulled me to the front of the line. (I'm the leader, because I'm the most experienced and I basically stayed here the longest). I snapped into leader mode and made sure everyone was in line.

"Okay, cabin six. Fall in," I said loudly. We walked towards the other crowds of demigods who were rushing out of their cabins. I looked at the Hermes cabin and saw Percy looking out of place at the end of the Hermes line. I actually felt tweed of sympathy for him. We all walked down to the pavilion, chatting with friends.

As we entered, torches began to blaze around the sleek marble columns. A fire burned in a bronze brazier the size of a bathtub. Each cabin had its own table, covered in white cloth and trimmed in royal purple. Four of the tables were empty; for the Gods or Goddesses who didn't have kids. I led the group to the long table and we sat down, talking about architecture. I began to talk with Marina about the Eiffel Tower and how I really wanted to go visit it. As I talked, I noticed Percy staring at us, and I wondered what he thought about us.

Most people referred to as the serious-looking athletic kids with gray eyes and honey-blond hair. Percy looked back at his empty plate, seeming quite uncomfortable at the crammed Hermes table, because there were just too many people. He was practically hanging off of the bench. I almost snickered at the sight. Then I frowned. Why was I being so rude? Oh yeah. Because I thought that he was the one. I snorted and Cady looked up at me questioningly. I shook my head and rolled my eyes and she smiled and continued chatting. Finally, Chiron tapped his hoof twice against the marble floor and everybody instantly fell silent.

He smiled and then raised his glass filled with diet coke. "To the gods!"

"To the gods!" everyone else said, raising their glasses in unison. I snickered when I saw Clarisse growl as some of her coke sloshed onto her shirt when she thrust the glass up. Wood nymphs suddenly ran forward, carrying about ten platters of food per nymph. They were balancing them carefully, though moving quite clumsily underneath the weight of the food. They set plates of grapes, apples, strawberries, cheese, fresh bread, and barbecue. I touched my glass and said "Coke" and immediately the glass was filled with a murky brown color. I loaded my plate with the most juicy and tasty foods. We all got up and stood in a long line in front of the central fire. We waited patiently as each camper dropped food in as an offering for the gods.

When it was my turn, I emptied the whole plate into the fire (extra offerings) and it exploded with heat and heavenly smells of hot chocolate, brownies, hamburgers, wildflowers, roses, icecream and a million other good things. I closed my eyes and whispered, "To my loving mother, Athena. Please help me get a quest. Please send a sign." I got up solemnly and walked to my table, followed by others. We finished our meal and then loaded our plates with dessert. After that, Chiron tapped his foot again for our attention. He looked at Mr. D with a stern expression. He belched, let out a huge sigh, patted his stomach, and grunted off of his chair. His glittering beady black eyes glared at us. His huge belly lay like a sack above the table as he stood.

"Yes, I suppose I'd better say hello to all of you brats. Well, hello. Our activities director, Chiron, says that the next capture the flag is Friday. Cabin five presently holds the laurels," he grunted in a bored voice. A bunch of cheering rose from the Ares table and I rolled my eyes as Clarisse's loud voice whooped through the whole pavilion.

"Personally, I couldn't care less, but congratulations. Also, I should tell you that we have a new camper today. Peter Johnson." I rolled my eyes. Of course Dionysus was doing that on purpose. I saw Chiron leaning towards him and muttering.

"Er…Percy Jackson," Mr. D corrected. "That's right. Hurrah and all that. Now run along to your silly campfire. Go on." I rose as everybody cheered. We all headed down toward the amphitheater, where Apollo's cabin led a sing-along as they almost always did. We sang many original songs about the gods and ate s'mores and goofed off. I glanced at Percy and he smiled and laughed and joked along with the others. He looked like he was comfortable. Maybe I didn't have to have his back all the time anymore.

After we were done, we went back to the cabins. I went in and changed into a thin, soft blue tank top and white shorts. I combed through my hair and then lay on the bed, pushed against the wall. I lay down, gazing at the bookshelves and the numerous scrolls that lay next to it, strung across the walls. The moonlight shone through them, illuminating the words on the scrolls. I closed my eyes and thought about capture the flag and settled into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

**If you liked it then u know wat to do! **


	8. Percy Sucks at Swordfighting

**Hey everyone. This is the second chapter that I wrote and finished today! I might even have time to do one more, if I'm in a good mood. Anyways here it is. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. R.R. does…blahblahblah. **

Chapter 8

I woke up and got ready go to teach Percy Ancient Greek. I walked outside and saw him strolling towards my cabin. I clutched my book in my hand and settled down on the grass, patting on the space next to me so he would sit. We talked about the gods and goddesses, what they were like, what they did, etc. I taught him how to read and write in Greek, and he was pretty good at that. We read through Homer, but he had difficulty reading more than a few lines. After that, he ran off to foot-racing class. Then, I continued researching about the summer solstice and I even sneaked into Chiron's room.

I walked in and ran to his computer, looking through files and other things. I frowned, immensely frustrated. It was only a while before Chiron returned from archery class. I leaped off the chair and rummaged around. I opened drawers and file cabinets, whisking through the millions of files crammed into the tiny space. I got up and turned around, knocking over a huge box of papers. Sucking in a deep breath, I crammed the papers back into the box and placed it back on the table. I bent down and continued to go through the files, but there was nothing about the summer solstice. I groaned, but froze immediately when I heard the patter of hooves. I stuffed papers back into the file cabinet and slammed it shut messily. It barely closed and a few papers stuck out through the sides and I prayed that Chiron wouldn't notice.

I shoved my invisibility cap on (which, if you haven't guessed, has the ability to make the person wearing it invisible. Duh.) I stood next to the lamp in the corner as Chiron opened the door and trotted in. He walked over to his desk which was like three feet away from me. I held my breath as he rummaged around in his drawers. He went over to his file cabinet, opened it, and started looking for some files.

Suddenly, he frowned and bent down to look at the order of the files. "Hmm…" he said in confusion. I sneaked past him, slowly, to the open door. He dug through the cabinet again, and I ran outside. I let out a huge sigh and decided to check on Percy's first sword-fighting lesson. A bunch of kids from Hermes walked in and I followed them, invisibly. I needed to make sure that Percy was fine…it's not like I wanted to see Luke and how cute and strong he looked when he fought… I shook my head in bewilderment and sat on the bleachers and stared at Luke as he passed different swords to Percy, none of which seemed to be good enough for him. I watched as they paired into dueling groups.

"I'll be Percy's partner…you know, show him how things are done," Luke said with a grin. My head felt dizzy, but I shook it and tried to concentrate on not hyperventilating every time he smiled. Wow, I sounded all girly didn't I? What was happening to me? I frowned and whacked my head. Someone on the bleachers whipped their head around and stared right at me. He shrugged and then turned back to watch the swordfighters.

"Good luck, Percy. Luke's the best swordsman in the last three hundred years," I heard Cole telling Percy.

"Maybe he'll go easy on me," I heard Percy murmur softly, looking extremely nervous. Cole snorted and rolled his eyes.

I watched, filled with amusement, as Luke showed Percy various thrusts and parries and shield blocks. With every swipe, Percy got a little more bruised. Poor kid. He didn't know how to fight. Oh well…he will learn.

"Keep your guard up, Percy," Luke told him for the hundredth time.

"No not that far up!" _whap! Ha! _"Lunge!" _whap! Ha! _"Now, back!" _whap! Ha!_ I snickered. By the time Luke called break, Percy was soaked in sweat. In fact, everyone was. All the campers rushed to the drinks cooler which was right next to where I was sitting. I moved to the right as Beckman sat where I was sitting a second before. He shook his sweaty hair, drops splashing onto my face. Ugh. Gross. I wiped my face in disgust and tried not to gag.

I watched as Luke poured ice water on his head and shook it, running his fingers through his tangled hair. I resisted the urge to sigh. How could a guy be so perfect? I mean, seriously! I watched Percy do the same and he emitted a weird glow or strength. I don't know how I felt it…I just did. It seemed to expand around the arena and that made me wonder... My eyes narrowed. Maybe…no, it couldn't be true. I already thought that and I was sure that he was not a son of Poseidon. He just couldn't be.

I sighed and walked off the bleachers. It made a little groaning noise and Beckman stared right at me, frowning, as I leaped off and hurried to the door. I took of my cap and shook my hair behind me as my body shimmered back into visibility. Days passed and I taught Percy Greek regularly, went sword-fighting, practiced archery, etc. I was so eager for capture the flag. It was my favorite part of camp.

That night, I lay on the bed, my mind whizzing with thoughts and strategies. I closed my eyes and finally an idea occurred to me. We were so going to win capture the flag.

**If you liked it, please review! Here's a little bit of math for ya: Me + no reviews = bad story and no more chapters (meaning end of the story!) ;( Me + a lot of reviews = good story and more chapters! =) oh and a happy me! So REVIEW!!!!!! Let's try to make it 30 reviews before the tenth chapter, okay? Just ten more reviews and two more chapters till the tenth. Come on people! Luv y'all! **


	9. Capture the Flag plus a nasty surprise

**Yay! We reached 35 reviews! Thanks a lot guys. And I'm sorry that I'm taking a while to post some chapters and that they're really short. I'm going to make them much longer. So…here it is.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or the Olympians; RR does and everyone probably knows that by now…**

Chapter 9

Days passed and I taught Percy Greek regularly, went sword-fighting, practiced archery, etc. Finally, it was time for capture the flag. During dinner, everybody was practically bouncing excitedly in their seats. We all stuffed ourselves for energy, and after dinner, the conch horn sounded and we all stood at our tables. Campers yelled and cheered as Claire, Lola, and I ran into the pavilion carrying a beautiful silk banner. It was about ten feet long, shimmering gray, with a painting of a wise barn owl above an olive tree. We three basically designed this beautiful banner.

I narrowed my eyes as Clarisse and a few of her sumo wrestler buddies ran from the opposite direction, holding the same sized banner but extravagant red painted messily with a bloody spear and a boar's head. They used that same flag every time and it was practically covered with dirt. I rolled my eyes and revised the plan in my head. Poor Percy wouldn't suspect a thing until after the game.

Since Clarisse and her other buddies really wanted to pulverize Percy, I would make him stay in one place so that they could gang up on him. While they were busy, I would run and get their banner and then run back. Well…that's the simple part of the plan…pretty much summed up. The problem was if we were actually going to be able to get the flag. My cabin had made an alliance with Apollo and Hermes, which were the two biggest cabins here. The bulky guys were going to guard the flag. The fast guys were going to run and try to capture the flag with me and the rest of my cabin.

Ares had allied themselves with everybody else: Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus. Dionysus's kids were great athletes, but since there were only two of them, we could get rid of them in no time. Demeter's kids were pretty good with plants and nature, and they could wrap us in flowers or something, but they weren't very aggressive; it was pretty much in their nature to be soft and not very aggressive.

Aphrodite's kids? Forget about them! I'm not worried at all. Usually, during every activity, they just checked their reflections in the lake, did their hair, wore makeup, and gossiped. It was quite annoying, if you ask me. Hephaestus kids were very strong and muscular from working in the metal shop all day, so they might be a problem. They're also good at making weapons, so I had to watch out. Sometimes they didn't fight fairly. Then the Ares cabin. Their dad was the God of war! It was probably going to be hard to go against them, unless all of them were going to gang up on Percy. I was going to have to hurry. I looked at Percy worriedly, who was staring at the Ares cabin out of fear.

Chiron hammered his hoof on the marble ground. Everyone looked up at him, respectfully, and he cleared his throat.

"Heroes! You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. —I saw Percy gulping—The banner must be prominently displayed, and have no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or miming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourself!" announced Chiron.

He spread his hands out, and the table was suddenly cluttered with equipment like helmets, swords, spears, shields, etc. I grabbed a helmet, a long sword, and a shield. The helmet, like all the other ones on my cabin's side, had a blue plume on the top. Ares and their allies had large red plumes on theirs. It was time to begin. I looked out of the corner of my eye at Lola and Claire. We smirked at each other and nodded. I looked forward, raised my sword in front of me, and yelled, "Blue team! Forward!"

Everyone cheered like crazy and stuck their swords/spears out in front of them. They all followed me down the path to the south woods. The red team yelled insults at us as they headed off towards the north. I grit my teeth and my hands clenched into tight fists. I heard a loud, clumsy clanging from behind me and rolled my eyes.

"Hey," Percy said. I kept marching.

"So, what's the plan? Got any magic items you can loan me?" he asked me. Instinctively, I reached to my pocket, afraid that he had stolen something. After all, he could be the son of Hermes. When I felt my cap there, I relaxed.

"Just watch Clarisse's spear. You don't want that thing touching you. Otherwise, don't worry. We'll take the banner from Ares. Has Luke given you your job?" I asked him calmly.

"Border patrol, whatever that means," he replied.

"It's easy. Stand by the creek, keep the reds away. Leave the rest to me. Athena always has a plan," I replied, smirking. I pushed ahead, leaving Percy behind. This was only the beginning of the plan. Luke nudged me and I looked at him.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"You didn't tell Percy the plan, huh?" he asked.

"Well, he doesn't need to know about it, you know. He might get scared or something. And the less he knows, the better. If we want to win and make sure Percy doesn't get severely hurt, we have to get the banner. Fast," I told him.

"Okay," he nodded.

"I just hope that Clarisse and her cabin go over to him. There'll be less guards and people to knock down that way," I told Luke. He looked at me in surprise.

"I'll make sure he doesn't get hurt, Luke," I sighed. He smiled and ran over to the rest of the Hermes cabin. I looked back to make sure that Beckham and Leuven were guarding the flag. They stood with pride, holding a spear in one hand and a sword in the other. They're faces were bright red and their eyes were narrowed. They looked funny, if you really thought about it.

We finally stopped, twenty feet away from the red team. Chiron stood there, and said, "When I blow the horn, you began. Remember, no serious injuries." He finally blew the conch horn and we were thrust into battle.

Clark, from the Hephaestus cabin, came at me in a rush. I immediately brought my sword up before he could slash at me. I slammed my sword against his roughly and we fought. It was pretty fun. He slashed at my head, but I ducked and kicked his feet away from him. He slammed to the rough, dirt ground and groaned. Prisoner one. I looked behind just to see Charles rushing over. I blocked his slash with my shield, and kicked him in the shins. He came at me again, and I brought my shield and sword up. I sandwiched his sword between mine and my shield and pulled it out of his hands. He tried to grab it, but I kicked him full in the stomach, and he doubled over. Prisoner two. Then, with a wink, I shoved my helmet off and pulled my cap on. I saw Charles's astonished face as I disappeared. He stared right at me, bewildered.

"Dude! Where did she go?" he asked Clark. Clark looked around and shook his head. His face was filled with shock. The two "cops" as we like to call them, Brian and Liam, grabbed them and took them to the cages. I snickered and ran off towards the flag. I was so lucky I had this cap. We were going to win and Clarisse would be so mad. I laughed, imagining her blood red face and murderous look when she lost.

Someone from the Ares cabin who was fighting Claire looked toward me in surprise, and Claire took that time to push him down. She knew it was me and yelled thanks.

"No prob," I replied.

I stopped running when I saw Clarisse and the rest of her cabin sneaking over to where Percy was patrolling. I smirked. The plan was going well. Now, I just had to hurry. Suddenly, someone slammed into me and my cap flew off. Damn. I looked behind at the guy on top of me. He raised his eyebrows when I shimmered into view. I pushed him off and kicked his sword out of his hand. He growled at me and I smiled sweetly. He threw his shield at me, and I ducked as it crashed against a tree. Then I grabbed his hand, twisted it around, and whispered in his ear.

"You're out." He shivered and I pushed him face down before running to retrieve my cap. I shoved it on my head and ran to the flag. Luke and Richard were fighting the two guards. Since they were occupied, I snuck behind them and carefully untied the flag. Luke saw it being undone, flashed me a smile and a slight nod. I kicked one of the guards from the back and he fell down. Cory ran over and leaped onto that guard, pinning him down.

"Get the flag and run!" he yelled. The other guard was momentarily stunned. Richard used that moment to hit him on his head with his shield. He slumped to the ground. Luke, Richard, and I grabbed the flag and began to run.

"Claire, Max, Alex! Fight off the red team from behind! Jeff and Dain get over here and help us!" I shrieked. A swarm of our team ran towards us, cheering and fighting off the opposing team. I slashed at the others, knocking them down. Suddenly, I saw Percy fighting off the Ares cabin. I was going to help, but he seemed to be in control.

I saw him slam one of them in the face with his shield. He backed up quickly. Clarisse was the only one coming at him now. She thrust her spear at him, but he caught the shaft between the edge of his shield and his sword and snapped it like a twig. I raised my eyebrows. How did he get so good?

"Ah! You idiot! You corpse-breath worm!" Clarisse shrieked. She looked like she was about to say more, but Percy smacked her between the eyes with his sword-butt and sent her stumbling out of the creek. We were still screaming and Percy looked up to see us running toward the boundary line.

"Luke, I'm going to go check on Percy," I told him. He nodded and I tried to slam through the red team to where Percy was.

"A trick! It was a trick!" yelled Clarisse. She was about to stumble towards Luke, but he already ran across. Our side exploded into cheers and the other side groaned loudly. I looked at Clarisse, and she was shaking with anger. I expected steam to blow out of her ears and laughed. The red banner shimmered and turned to silver. Everybody on the blue team picked Luke up and started carrying him around on their shoulders, screeching with delight. Chiron trotted out of the woods and blew the conch horn. The game was over and we had won. I was thrilled. I walked over and stood next to Percy.

"Not bad, hero," I told him. He looked at me in surprise which then turned to confusion.

"Where the heck did you learn to fight like that?" I asked. I took off my Yankees baseball cap and, judging by the look on his face, assumed that I was visible. Suddenly, Percy looked really angry. I looked at him with a smug look on my face.

"You set me up. You put me here because you knew Clarisse would come after me, while you sent Luke around the flank. You had it all figured out," he accused.

"I told you. Athena always, always has a plan," I told him simply, with a slight shrug.

"A plan to get me pulverized," he hissed.

"I came as fast as I could. I was about to jump in, but…" I shrugged. "You didn't need help." Then I looked at his arm, which was wounded before. Instead, there was a long white scratch that was fading as well.

"How did you do that?" I asked, astonished.

"Sword cut. What do you think?" he asked me.

"No. It _was _a sword cut. Look at it," I replied. The gears were turning in my head, faster than the speed of light. I almost gasped when the scar suddenly disappeared.

"I—I don't get it," he replied. Oh God. Please tell me it isn't true. The only way to find out was to make him get out of the water. I looked down at his feet and then at Clarisse's broken spear.

"Step out of the water, Percy," I replied in a trembling voice.

"What—" he began.

"Just do it."

Percy stepped out and looked really weak. He fell over, but I grabbed him.

"Oh, Styx. This is _not_ good. I didn't want…I assumed it would be Zeus…" I cursed.

Percy opened his mouth, but closed it when we heard a canine growl. A howl ripped through the forest. The cheering died instantly. Chiron yelled something in Ancient Greek. I drew my sword and glared at the monster. There, on the rocks just above us was a black hound the size of a rhino. Its blood red eyes glaring straight at Percy. Its fangs were bared. Nobody moved except for me.

"Percy! Run!" I yelled. I tried to step in front of Percy, but the huge hound was too fast. It leaped over me and I turned over to see it slam into Percy. Its claws dug into Percy's skin and suddenly there was a whizzing sound. Chiron had shot arrows at it. The hound looked confused for a minute, but then fell dead at Percy's feet. I looked at Percy's chest which was warm and wet with blood. He was taking deep, but shallow breaths. Chiron trotted towards us, a bow in his hand.

"_Di immortals! _That's a hellhound from the Fields of Punishment. They don't…they're not supposed to…" I trailed off. Who had summoned it? Why?

"Someone summoned it," Chiron said gravely. "Someone inside the camp." I saw Luke coming over, the banner in his hand torn and forgotten.

"It's all Percy's fault! Percy summoned it!" yelled Clarisse. _Oh shut up_! I thought.

"Be quiet, child," Chiron snapped at her. Everyone watched as the hellhound melted into the ground and disappeared.

"You're wounded," I whispered. "Quick, Percy. Get into the water."

"I'm okay."

"No you're not! Chiron, watch this." Percy stepped back into the creek, and the whole camp gathered around him. I stared intently at him and suddenly, Percy glowed. The cuts on his chest closed up and most of the campers gasped. I just stared sadly at him, knowing that we couldn't be friends and that we couldn't work together. Athena would never work with Poseidon. I almost sighed.

"Look, I—I don't know why. I'm sorry…" he tried to apologize. Suddenly, there was a sign hovering above Percy's head. Everybody gaped at it. It was like a hologram of green light, swiveling and gleaming in the air. It was a trident.

"Percy…um…" I told him, pointing. He looked up in surprise.

"Your father. This is _really_ not good," I whispered sadly.

"It is determined," Chiron announced. I looked at Percy, not liking the feeling at the pit of my stomach. I felt… I don't know betrayed. He wasn't the one. Not only was Percy not supposed to exist, but I wasn't going on a quest anytime soon. I felt like sinking to the ground and yelling. I still stood standing while everybody around started kneeling, even the Ares cabin. Luke tugged at my shirt and I knelt too. This was really bad.

"My father?" Percy asked, bewildered.

"Poseidon," Chiron replied. "Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God."

**Man, I made Annabeth sound like such a jerk towards the end, huh? Oh well. I hope this was long enough for you guys? And mainly, I hope you enjoyed it. It took me a long time to write…well R&R! Thanks guys. I really luv y'all.**


	10. I Beat up a Daughter of Ares

**Hey people. I got so many great reviews and I'm really happy now. That is why at 10:00 when I should be studying for a French thing, I'm going to write you guys another chapter. You guys are awesome! **

**Disclaimer: Do I look like an old, cheerful, and wise dude with gray hair? Well, then that proves that I don't own Percy Jackson or anything else R.R. wrote.**

Chapter 10

I sat down at my bed, staring at my bookshelf. I was wearing the same clothes as yesterday, during capture the flag. My hair hung limply against my shoulders and my hands were wrapped around my knees which were pressed tightly against my chest. I closed my eyes and sighed.

"Annabeth?" a voice called softly. I looked up and saw that it was Claire. She looked at me with pity. Her straight blonde hair flew behind her and her stormy grey eyes took in my appearance.

"Yeah?" I asked, noticing that my voice sounded hollow.

"Why are you so sad?" she asked me, her eyebrows raised. I knew that she knew the answer so I rolled my eyes at her.

"I don't know. I just can't believe that I thought that he was the one. If he's the son of Poseidon, he shouldn't exist. Zeus will try his hardest to zap him to death. Literally. And Athena just doesn't get along well with Poseidon. So if Percy gets a quest, I don't know if I can too," I sighed.

"This is all about going on a quest?" she asked me. I nodded. She rolled her eyes.

"I guess it's in Athena's blood to be so determined," she told me with a smile.

"Yeah, I guess," I replied, looking down at my hands.

"Look, Percy came in earlier and asked about you teaching him Ancient Greek," she suddenly said. My eyes flashed up to her face in annoyance and then I looked back at my hands.

"So?" I asked.

"He really seemed sad that you weren't going to teach him. I think he's really sad because now people are avoiding him since he's Poseidon's son and all. Well, Luke is still nice to him. But other than that, everyone talks about him and just ignores him. You should help him out," she told me.

"Look, I don't really care now. If I do see him, I'll be in a really bad mood so I wouldn't really want to teach him, and I'll be all mean to him. You know I do that a lot when I'm mad."

"Yeah, unfortunately, I do," she replied with a smile.

"What did you tell him?" I asked.

"I just told him that you were tired and that you were going to postpone the class to the evening and that it was only for today," she replied with a smug smile.

"Claire! Ugh," I sighed.

"Just try, Annabeth," she told me. I growled when I knew that she was right. If I didn't help him, or accept him, who would? Why did she have to be so wise? Oh yeah, because she's a daughter of Athena. And why did I have to be such a knucklehead and feel regretful? Oh yeah, because I'm a daughter of Athena and she always knows right from wrong.

"Whatev. "Anything else?" I asked her.

"Yeah. Someone left this at everyone's cabin," she replied, throwing a newspaper at me. I frowned and looked at the page. It took me a while to read, because I was dyslexic and all. The words were floating off the page, but I finally managed to read it.

"Anyways, I got to go talk to Cody about something. Later," she told me. I just nodded slightly in her direction and began to read.

**BOY AND MOTHER STILL MISSING AFTER FREAK CAR ACCIDENT**

BY EILEEN SMYTHE

_Sally Jackson and son Percy are still missing one week after their mysterious disappearance. The family's badly burned '78 Camaro was discovered last Saturday on a north Long Island road with the roof ripped off and the front axle broken. The car had flipped and skidded for several hundred feet before exploding. Mother and son had gone for a weekend vacation to Montauk, but left hastily, under mysterious circumstances. Small traces of blood were found in the car and near the scene of the wreck, but there were no signs of the missing Jacksons. Residents in the rural area reported seeing nothing unusual around the time of the accident. _

_Ms. Jackson's husband, Gabe Ugliano, claims that his stepson, Percy Jackson, is a troubled child who has been kicked out of numerous boarding schools and has expressed violent tendencies in the past. Police would not say whether son Percy is a suspect in his mother's disappearance, but they have not ruled out foul play. Below are recent pictures of Sally Jackson and Percy. Police urge anyone with information to call the following toll-free crime-stoppers hotline. _

I sighed and threw the paper aside. Poor Percy. He was really suffering. I sighed and stared outside the window for a second. I could see Percy trudging sadly through the woods, towards his cabin. I slipped off of bed and went to take a long, hot shower, feeling the stress melt away as the warm water untied the knots in my shoulders. I guess I could be nice and still teach Percy, but I didn't have to be nice directly to him. It's just that any time I'm around him, I feel so angry. It's weird and uncomfortable. I just felt like strangling the kid; he just has like an annoying atmosphere around him. I frowned and wondered if that's how Athena felt around Poseidon.

After I was done, I met with Percy. He seemed a bit happier that there was another person that didn't reject him, but I was still really pissed. Every time the seaweed brained freak said something, it just irritated me and I always scowled at him. I could see the confused look in his eyes, and he looked kind of nervous. After we were done, I trudged off, muttering, "Quest…Poseidon? Dirty rotten…Got to make a plan…"

After that, I stayed cooped up in my cabin, researching. The problem was that I didn't know what to look for. I groaned and frowned and cursed. There weren't any books or information on _why are Zeus and his brothers fighting and what does that have to do with the summer solstice? _I growled sourly. I closed my eyes, ignoring the pounding headache of staring at the computer and books for hours. I needed some exercise. I jumped up, grabbed my cap, and trudged outside.

First, I went to the sword-fighting arena and saw Percy walk outside, talking to Luke. He was sweating like crazy, and looked tired. He had a cut across his cheek, but otherwise was just covered in bruises. I think he spotted me, but I wasn't sure. I walked inside and saw a bunch of people fighting and goofing off. Clarisse was tackling one of her crazily bulky buddies. When I walked in, she glared up at me, her teeth bared. As she trudged over to me, I clenched my teeth and curled my hands into a fist.

"Annabeth," she growled at me.

"Clarisse," I replied casually, nodding slightly towards her. I looked forward and began to walk, but she placed a rough hand on my shoulder. Everybody turned to stare at us. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. That would only provoke her.

"Hey. Did you read the newspaper that I dropped off at everyone's cabin?" she asked me.

"Which newspaper?" I asked, playing dumb.

"You know which one," she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Well, since Percy's Poseidon's son, I guess you won't be going on a quest anytime soon…you know, being Athena's daughter and all. You were born out of her head, weren't you?" she asked me. I grit my teeth and closed my eyes. I did not want to remember how I was born; it was just gross and really weird. Besides, I didn't even get formed the normal way; Athena claimed to be a maiden and she was. To the men that she favored, she gifted them with children that sprouted out of her head. Yeah. What a nice way to reward someone? _Too bad my dad didn't accept the gift_, I thought sourly.

"Your point?" I asked her calmly. She shrugged.

"Guess you're really disappointed," she whispered.

"Why would I be?" I asked her.

"No reason. I guess it's good that you don't get another quest. After what happened to Thalia," she hissed. That was it. She had just yanked the last cord that kept all the tension bottled up. I snapped my hand back and slammed it into her face. She was thrown back onto the blue practice mats and shot up to glare at me with bloodlust eyes. Her nose was broken and bleeding heavily. She grabbed her nose, and with a pop, popped it back into place. Everyone closed their eyes and groaned at that. I was about to turn away when she rammed into me from the side. I fell back down and kicked her off.

"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!" everybody yelled.

"Cream her!" the Ares cabin yelled at Clarisse. Not even in your dreams. I leaped up and sent a roundhouse kick to her head. She crippled to the ground and staggered up. Then she slammed her fist against my ear, and it throbbed in pain. I slammed my foot into her stomach, and she doubled over.

"Swords!" yelled someone from the crowd.

"This isn't a duel!" I protested, but a sword was thrust into my hand. Clarisse held one too, and she turned to glare at me. She ran at me, and I tried hard not to imagine her as a bull; or else I would burst out laughing. Oh, and I was wearing red. I stepped aside, and she slammed into the wall. Some people snickered, but she spun around and thrust her sword at me. I parried it and slammed the butt of the sword against Clarisse's head. She growled and lunged at me again, looking a bit dazed. Yup, I could whoop anyone's but if I set my heart to it. She slashed the sword at me again, but I blocked it with my sword and then dropped to the ground when she swiped again. I whacked the back of her legs with my feet and she fell to the ground.

I stood over her, the sword in my hands. She glared at me angrily, spat a bit of blood out of her mouth, and then tried to stand up. I pressed my foot lightly against her chest and stared down at her.

"Go ahead. Just whack me again, you loser," she yelled at me.

"First, you're the loser here. And second, I would never stoop that low," I sneered. I threw the sword away from us and stormed away angrily. I think that was enough exercise... jeez the God of War seriously needed to find a new hobby.

**I hope you liked it. I got a lot of requests for adding like a random scene, so that's what I did. If you liked it, review! You know that makes me happy. And if you didn't, still review. It will still make me happy. =P**


	11. Percy Gets a Quest

**Thank you all for the awesome reviews. I was really happy when I read them. Anyways, here comes chapter 11.**

**Disclaimer: I think we've established the fact that I do not own Percy Jackson. **

Chapter 11

I walked haughtily out of the arena, hearing Clarisse's strangled growl and the laughs and jeers of the other campers. I rolled my eyes. It would only be a moment of time before Chiron found out and came to me. I went to my cabin and researched, for the hundredth time, there again. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. I sighed and walked over to open it. Grover stood there, chewing his nails nervously.

"Hey, Grover," I told him with a smile. I hadn't talked to him in a while; he was too busy guiding Percy around.

"Hey," he told me, looking around anxiously.

"Um, are you okay?" I asked him, eyebrows raised. He just nodded.

"Okay, then…" I replied.

"If you're going to throw that away, could you…um…" he told me, pointing towards the squished up Coke can that lay on the floor beneath my bed.

"Yeah, sure," I told him, walking over to pick it up. I threw it at him, and he caught it in his mouth, chewing it like as if he was chewing chips. I rolled my eyes at him. He smirked at me, stuffing the whole can in his mouth.

"So…what's up?" I asked him.

"Oh…yeah…Chiron wants to talk to you," he told me. I rolled my eyes and nodded. I walked outside, with Grover, to Chiron's office. He probably was going to talk to me about the fight earlier today. When I walked in, I was surprised that there wasn't an angry, growling Clarisse sitting there waiting for me. Chiron looked a little upset at me, but that was it. He was stuffed inside his wheelchair, which was unusual to do right now, and I looked at him suspiciously.

"Annabeth," he told me calmly.

"Chiron," I replied. He looked at me for a minute and then turned to Grover.

"Grover, you may leave," Chiron told him. Grover nodded, grabbing a picture frame on the way out. I rolled my eyes, knowing that it would have disappeared in seconds.

"So… why did you want to see me?" I asked Chiron slowly, hoping to avoid the whole _don't fight with other campers_ lecture. So, I was immensely surprised when he said something else.

"Annabeth, first of all, you know not to fight other campers. Normally, I would be talking to you about how wrong that was, but now I'm going to skip that lecture and go on to a more important case."

"And what would that be?" I asked him, full of eager. His eyes scanned my face and he then sighed.

"I know you've always wanted to go on a quest," he told me softly. My heart began to beat a hundred perfect faster. I started to bounce eagerly in my seat, wondering how power-crazed my eyes looked.

"Go on…" I urged him impatiently.

"I'm going to cut straight to it. Percy will be told that he is going on a quest tomorrow morning. As you are aware, only two others can go with him. If you accept, then—" but I cut him off.

"Yes! I'll do it!" I exclaimed, a huge grin splitting across my face. After so many years of training, and mourning to go on a quest, my time finally came. I guess I owed Percy an apology. I can't believe that he _is_ the one! I felt like squealing in delight, but that's what girly-girls did, so I tried to keep it cool. I showed him my determined look, sat down, and stared at him.

"What's the quest?" I asked calmly, but with great difficulty.

"Everything will be explained tomorrow. When Percy comes over to where we will be playing cards, you have to sneak in with your cap and listen to the conversation. Then when he understands the quest and accepts, you can offer your alliance to him," he told me. I almost rolled my eyes, but remembered that Percy was the reason that I was going and I should be grateful.

"Okay, Chiron, thank you so much!" I gushed, squealing in delight.

"No problem, kiddo. Make sure you rest and then wake up early. Mr. D will want to speak to him early tomorrow morning, perhaps around six," Chiron replied softly.

"Sure thing, Chiron. Thanks again," I replied. He dismissed me and I ran outside. It was night, and when I strolled into my cabin, the small digital clock gleamed 10:47. Oh well; I might as well sleep now since I was going to wake up pretty early the next day. I showered, changed, and flopped onto my bed. My other siblings were on their beds too, reading books. The faint glow of a reading lamp prevented me from sleeping, so I just closed my eyes and thought about what the quest would be. Finally, I felt myself drifting off into a calm, peaceful sleep.

There was a loud clap of thunder and I flew off my bed, my eyes frozen wide with shock. I rubbed my eyes, and looked at the dresser. There were small black circles underneath my eyes, and they really stood out on my pale face. I changed and walked outside. Many people were awake. I frowned and looked at my clock. 6:45. Great. I sighed and strolled to the Big House. I shoved my cap on and felt myself disappear. I arrived just in time to see Mr. D pick up a playing card, twist it and I watched as it became a plastic rectangle. A security pass. I smiled, my skin stretching over my cheekbones. I haven't smiled this big since…forever. Mr. D snapped his fingers and disappeared. A strong smell of grapes and wine wafted underneath my nose and I rolled my eyes.

I could see Chiron smiling at Percy and talking to him about something. I snuck closer, but then remembered I was wearing the cap, and walked confidently right behind Chiron. I lightly tapped his shoulder, and he didn't turn, knowing that I was behind him. He nodded slightly, acknowledging me, but in a way so that Percy had no idea that I was there.

"You'll meet worse, Percy. Far worse, before you're done," Chiron told him.

"Done…with what?" Percy asked, his face scrunched up in confusion.

"Your quest, of course. Will you accept it?" Percy glanced at Grover who was crossing his fingers, eyes closed. He was mumbling something underneath his breath.

"Um, sir, you haven't told me what that is yet," Percy replied.

"Well that's the hard part, the details," Chiron replied with a frown.

Thunder began to rumble madly and I looked up worriedly. Lightning struck against the ocean. The Olympians were arguing. I bit my lip.

"Poseidon and Zeus. They're fighting over something valuable… something that was stolen, aren't they?" he asked solemnly. I raised my eyebrows. How did he know? I saw Grover exchanging a surprised look with Chiron.

"How did you know that?" Chiron asked.

His cheeks burnt and he talked about how the weather was weird, like the sea and the sky were fighting, how I told him about a theft, and that he had been having some weird dreams.

"Nevertheless, Percy, you are correct. Your father and Zeus are having their worst quarrel in centuries. They are fighting over something valuable that was stolen. To be precise: a lightning bolt." I almost gasped. I faintly heard their conversation going on. The gears turned in my brain. Zeus's master bolt was stolen? By whom? His bolt was the symbol of his power, the first weapon made by the Cyclopes for the war against the Titans, the one that hurled Kronos from his throne, that was two-foot-long made of celestial bronze and capped on both ends with god-level explosives. Stolen. I froze with fear. Now, this was serious. I tuned back into the conversation.

"Stolen," Chiron replied to Percy's question.

"By who?" Percy asked.

"By _whom_," Chiron corrected. I rolled my eyes. "By you." Percy and my mouth fell open in unison.

Chiron held up his hand and continued, "At least that's what Zeus thinks. During the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon had an argument. The usual nonsense: 'Mother Rhea always liked you best'; 'Air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters', etc. Afterward, Zeus realized that his master bolt was missing, taken from the throne room under his very nose. He immediately blamed Poseidon. Now, a god cannot usurp another god's symbol of power directly—that is forbidden by the most ancient divine laws. But Zeus believes your father convinced a human hero to take it."

"But I didn't—" Percy protested. I tuned out again; they were going to just talk about stuff I already knew. I frowned. So, if Percy didn't have it, then who did? And if Zeus didn't get it back, what would he do? I shuddered just thinking about it. Suddenly I heard Chiron talk about World War II and took sudden interest in that.

He said that Zeus had demanded that Poseidon return the bolt by the summer solstice, which was on June 21st. That was only ten days from now. Poseidon also wants to be apologized to for being called a thief on that same date. If Zeus and Poseidon didn't get what they wanted on the summer solstice, they would start war. That would be horrible. The world would be in complete chaos. Nature would be at war itself. The Olympians would be torn apart; choosing between Zeus and Poseidon. There would be destruction and millions of people would die. If that was going to happen, then Percy would be the first killed, according to Chiron's assumption. There was a grim silence.

Suddenly, the rain from the huge storm fell into camp. Everybody looked up startled, and I did too. The people at the volleyball court immediately ran back to their cabins, horror clear on their faces. Everybody else just stared, dumbfounded upwards. The lightning flashed and now the campground was practically vacant. This was all because of Percy. If he found the stupid bolt and returned it to Zeus, everything would be okay. But where was it? Finally, before even telling Percy where the bolt was, Chiron asked if he accepted. After a few questions, Percy agreed. He looked freaked, and I have to admit that I would be too. But I wouldn't ever let anyone see it.

"Then it is time you consulted the Oracle. Go upstairs, Percy Jackson, to the attic. When you come back down, assuming you're still sane, we will talk more," Chiron told Percy grimly. _Assuming he was still sane. _I frowned.

**You should know what to do by now. I don't care how gruesome the comment is…just review! Well, just don't make it too nasty, okay? If you absolutely hated it, just say that it sucked. If you loved it, well you can pour your heart out to me explaining how much you loved this chapter. *snort* **


	12. The Prophecy

**Hey everybody. Thanks for those wonderful reviews; none of them were hateful so that's a relief. Anyways, here is chapter 12. Instead of including the whole conversation after Percy saw the Oracle because I felt it was really important to know; especially if you people didn't even read the book. But I'm pretty sure you guys did. Anyways back to the point…instead of writing the whole conversation, I just made Annabeth think that stuff, so I didn't have to write the whole conversation and I could just summarize it. Hope that's good enough for you guys and for the people who haven't read ****The Lightning Thief. ****So… here is your chapter. I promise that from the time they leave, and on, it will be much better and not exactly like the book. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson. I'm not creative enough. =P**

Chapter 12

I pulled the cap off of my head. Grover yelled, leaping up in his chair as I shimmered into view. I winked at him and turned to Chiron.

"Wha…when? Why?" asked Grover before I spoke.

"I listened to the whole conversation because I need to if I want to go on a quest. Duh," I replied, rolling my eyes. He opened his mouth, but I grabbed a Diet Coke can from the garbage and shoved it at him and he happily shredded it into thin strips.

"Chiron, what if the prophecy doesn't apply to him? What if he isn't the one," I whispered, like as if that conversation never happened.

"Silence, child. I know for a fact that he is the one. The only way I know is because of Zeus and that Poseidon claimed him as his son. You heard the conversation earlier. I hope you were paying attention," Chiron told me, looking slightly disapproving.

"Yeah, I heard everything. Fine, okay, he _is_ the one. But what if the prophecy is not...good?" I asked him.

"Annabeth, you should know that prophecies are never good. There is always something bad that is going to happen. You win some, you lose some. That's how life is," Chiron told me with a kind smile.

"Life sucks," I muttered underneath my breath.

"I hope he's okay up there," Chiron sighed.

"Look, he killed the Minotaur and beat up half of the Ares cabin. Those things sound so much braver and menacing compared to going to a room and talking to the Oracle," I scoffed.

"Of course you do not remember that the Oracle is not a simple thing to handle with. Some may go insane," Chiron replied simply. A moment of silence washed over us. My mind was just blank. No thoughts. I tried to start a conversation; it usually wasn't like me to be so…empty of thoughts.

"So…do you have an idea of where we are going?" I asked him.

"Yes, I do. But I shall explain everything when Percy comes. I need to first hear the prophecy and then I can be sure about the details," Chiron replied. Grover started chewing on his nails, nervously. He was glancing at the stapler at the edge of Chiron's desk. I rolled my eyes. Then, I felt pity for him. He had lost his searcher's license. All because of Percy. Grover had managed to bring Percy close to camp, but Percy was hurt and he was the one who rescued Grover's butt. The Elders had removed Grover's privileges. Now he couldn't find Pan. I felt sorry for the little guy. It was his biggest dream to search for Pan; every day of our quest (when I was seven), he used to stare up at the sky and scowl. He yelled at someone when they littered, scowled at the sky when there weren't any stars, yelled when small lumps of trash floated in a stream, and always talked about finding Pan. That little guy was obsessed. Suddenly, I heard the patter of feet. Chiron looked up at me and I shoved my cap back on, disappearing.

Percy walked in, looking slightly confused and kind of surprised. I dreaded what he was going to say next. The prophecy probably predicted something bad happening. I held my breath.

"Well?" Chiron asked impatiently, after a long moment of silence.

"She said I would retrieve what was stolen," Percy replied, but I knew that was not it. I narrowed my eyes.

"That's great!" exclaimed Grover, chewing on his soda can excitedly.

"What did the Oracle say _exactly_?" Chiron pressed. "This is important."

"She… said that I would go west and face a god who had turned. I would retrieve what was stolen and see it safely returned," Percy said. Hmm… Go west and face a god who had turned. I began to think. Hard. I felt the gears grinding, but it suddenly it was like they had stopped working. Like they had just gotten stuck and weren't turning anymore. I frowned and felt so frustrated for just not knowing. The second part was easy; he will get the Master Bolt and return it safely to Zeus. Zeus would apologize to Poseidon and all the Olympians will be happy. Except for Hades. He's probably… Suddenly, it struck me like lightning. Hades. If Zeus and Poseidon fight and weaken each other in the war, then Hades would take over. He had been very angry and held a huge grudge against his two brothers. He would do anything to get them back for not treating him well. He had stolen the Master Bolt! He did it so that his brothers would fight and he would get to rule! I almost gasped. Guess the geek is back.

"Anything else?" asked Chiron. He, too, realized that Percy hadn't finished reciting his prophecy. They were usually longer, and Percy wasn't really good at hiding his thoughts.

"No, that's about it," he replied slowly, and reluctantly. Chiron looked sad.

"Very well, Percy. But know this: the Oracle's words often have double meanings. Don't dwell on them too much. The truth is not always clear until events come to pass." Very true.

"Okay, so where do I go? Who's this god in the west?" asked Percy. I perked up, knowing that Chiron would probably know the answers to those really important questions. My assumption was most likely right, but of course, I needed the answers from the most knowledgeable one.

"Ah, think, Percy. If Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other in a war, who stands to gain?" Chiron asked.

"Somebody else who wants to take over?" he guessed. I smiled; maybe he wasn't that stupid.

"Yes, quite. Someone who harbors a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world was divided eons ago, whose kingdom would grow powerful with the deaths of millions. Someone who hates his brothers for forcing him into an oath to have no more children, an oath that both of them have now broken," Chiron hinted. Never mind. I was right. Of course!

"Hades," Percy gasped after thinking for a while.

"The Lord of the Dead is the only possibility," Chiron replied with a slight, hard nod.

"Whoa, wait. Wh-what?" Grover exclaimed.

"A Fury came after Percy. She watched the young man until she was sure of his identity, then tried to kill him. Furies obey only one lord: Hades," Chiron reasoned. That made so much sense. Man, so many years of not having to think so strategically unless for capture the flag has made me such a dummy.

"Yes, but – but Hades hates _all_ heroes," Grover protested. "Especially if he has found out that Percy is a son of Poseidon…"

"A hellhound got into the forest. Those can only be summoned from the Fields of Punishment, and it had to be summoned by someone within the camp. Hades must have a spy here. He must suspect Poseidon will try to use Percy to clear his name. Hades would very much like to kill this young half-blood before he can take on the quest," Chiron explained, mirroring my thoughts almost exactly.

"Great. That's two major gods who want to kill me," Percy muttered. I almost laughed. I sat down on the chair at the back, my head exploding with thoughts. I needed to do some research (what a shocker) very soon. I barely listened to the conversation and thought about it in my head.

So Hades has a spy in camp. He sent him or maybe someone else to steal the Master Bolt during the winter solstice. Then he hid it in the Underworld, knowing that Zeus would blame Poseidon. Grover needed to complete a quest with Percy in order to get his searcher's license, but that probably wasn't going to happen since he was really freaked. Wait…that was random…I frowned and shook my head and continued my little epiphany. Telling Zeus and Poseidon their assumption wouldn't be good; Gods cannot cross each other's territories except by invitation. It's an ancient rule; look it up. Heroes can do so though. They can go anywhere and challenge anyone. Poseidon needed Percy. _My mom would never need me_. I thought bitterly. I shook my head. Whatever. I don't need to get all jealous now. I continued my thoughts, my mind set on hyper drive.

So… Percy and I had to go to the Underworld and confront the Lord of the Dead, find the most powerful weapon in the universe, and get it back to Olympus before the summer solstice. Wow. It seemed simple, but it wasn't. I listened to the conversation again. Grover was nervous, but he agreed to go on the quest. Then, Percy said something about going on a plane and Grover shrieked. I leaped ten feet high and then slumped back down, sighing. Percy was so stupid; if he even went close to Zeus's territory, he would be zapped to death. He was Zeus's least favorite half-blood. Duh! Finally, Chiron got to the main part; the part where he would be introducing me as a quest member.

"That's right," Chiron answered, "Two companions may accompany you. Grover is one. The other has already volunteered, if you will accept her help."

"Gee. Who else would be stupid enough to volunteer for a quest like this?" Percy asked, feigning surprise. That jerk. I yanked my cap off and stuffed it into my back pocket.

"I've been waiting a long time for a quest, seaweed brain. Athena is no fan of Poseidon, but if you're going to save the world, I'm the best person to keep you from messing up," I told him, rolling my eyes.

"If you say so yourself. I suppose you have a plan, wise girl?" he asked me.

"Do you want my help or not?" I asked, feeling my cheeks heat up. I didn't know why; it was just weird when he called me wise girl. Or maybe it was because I didn't have a plan… I decided not to dwell on it, storing it into the back of my head so I could ponder about it later on. He looked at my face with a weird expression. I looked deep into his lime green eyes, and then looked away, trying not think about the intensity of them.

"A trio, that'll work," he responded.

"Excellent. This afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan. After that, you are on your own," Chiron told us. I resisted the urge to gulp at his grim tone. I flinched as lightning flashed and thunder exploded into the night like a thousand gunshots. Rain poured down, but thankfully, we were under shelter.

"No time to waste. I think you should all get packing," Chiron told us. I inhaled deeply. I just got my quest. I should be happy. So why did I have this horrible feeling that something bad was going to happen? Oh yeah, that's because that's how my life was.

**So…I hope you enjoyed it! I didn't really enjoy writing this because it was just like rewriting a whole part of the chapter in the book. So I thought it wasn't that great but it's your reviews that really count. I promise that the next chapter will be so much better…because they start on their quest! Yay! It'll probably be much longer. Now I'm going to switch and write a chapter to my other story. So…later. **


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